Cardinal Raymond Burke, Cardinal Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, sent a written message of support to St. Gianna Physician's Guild over the weekend encouraging Catholics to sign the organization's online petitionto protest the assault on religious liberty that is happening under ObamaCare. The petition has steadily gained momentum since its launch last August seeing the number of signatures more than double since January 20th. This is after the Department of Health and Human Services released a statement confirming that the mandate would go into effect as scheduled on August 1, 2012. An extension of one year was given to Catholic institutions and other entities to comply. This mandate does not provide a conscience clause for institutions and others who believe contraception and sterilization are immoral.

Stop the Birth Control Mandate petition asks that the Obama Administration and Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, withdraw immediately all references to contraception and contraception counseling from the "Guidelines for Women's Preventive Services" under The Affordable Care Act. Moreover, it petitions the administration to provide a conscience clause to protect the religious freedom and beliefs of Catholics.

In his letter Cardinal Burke declared:

I wholeheartedly express my solidarity with the Stop The Birth Control Mandate petition promoted by St. Gianna Physician's Guild protesting the recent decree by the Department of Health and Human Services of our federal government. I encourage Catholics to sign the petition and thus unite their support of Holy Mother Church by protesting the most grievous violation of the right to religious liberty for Catholics in the United States.

Cardinal Burke has long had the reputation of providing guidance in areas of faith and morals through his willingness to make public statements to encourage the Faithful.

"The petition sends a clear message to the Obama Administration that this contraception mandate is wrong, discriminatory and violates the religious rights of Catholics all across America," stated the Guild's President, Thomas McKenna. McKenna noted that already more than 150 Catholic bishops across the country have written letters decrying the mandate. "It is inspiring to see the bishops speaking out with such determination and moral clarity in encouraging the faithful to oppose the mandate. St. Gianna Physician's Guild applauds their leadership," McKenna continued.

The petition has provided Catholics and people of all faiths an outlet to express their outrage in what many feel is an act of government tyranny. The petition was posted on the Archdiocese of Denver's web site and has resulted in parishioners collecting signatures after weekend Masses.

St. Gianna Physician's Guild president,Thomas McKenna, was interviewed on San Diego television KUSI about the birth control mandate and the violation of religious freedom it poses to Catholic's in our country.

The mission of St. Gianna Physician's Guild is to unite and encourage Catholic physicians, and those in the health care profession, to promote and defend Catholic principles in a public way by word and example, and to inspire sanctification in their lives.

It seeks to use the influence and expertise of the medical profession to clarify and support sound ethics and morality in the practice of medicine and proclaim them in the public forum. As a way of promoting these values in the personal lives of the faithful, the Guild has a special devotional outreach to promotes and teach about the life and virtues of their patron, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, a dedicated wife, mother and physician who lived and practiced her faith in an exemplar way in the 20th century.

St. Gianna died in 1962 at the age of 39. She sacrificed her life for that of her unborn daughter when confronted with complications caused by a tumor that developed during her pregnancy. St. Gianna was canonized by Pope John Paul II on May 16, 2004.

I’ll sign. Hope the bishops start playing hardball with pro-death politicians and explain to the people why a voting for a pro abortion candidate is copperating with evil! I’m 54 years old and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve heard a pro-life sermon preached at Mass. And I’m not and A&P Catholic...I’m there every Sunday and Holy Day of Obligation.

Although this specific assault was mounted by HHS on Catholic institutions, it clearly will apply to all other religious institutions.

For that reason, Jewish, Protestant, and Muslim leaders have all come out vocally in support of the Catholic hospitals (which amount to 25% of the hospitals in the US, by the way) and in support of the Catholic position on this issue.

Please encourage everyone who believes in the Constitution to join them.

25
posted on 02/07/2012 11:18:54 AM PST
by AFPhys
((Praying for our troops, our citizens, that the Bible and Freedom become basis of the US law again))

The intention is to strengthen the Bishops’ hands when they refuse to comply, which they MUST refuse to comply, and we’ll see if obama is able to send his flying monkeys to cart a red-cloaked Cardinal off to jail.

Disclaimer:
Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual
posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its
management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the
exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.